3 Reasons To Build Your Driveway Out Of Asphalt

18 June 2015

Marvin Simmons

Building a new driveway is a great way to make your home stand out or increase your home's value. Two of the most popular types of driveways are concrete and asphalt, with asphalt offering several advantages that concrete simply cannot match. An asphalt driveway is a great choice because it is flexible, easy to repair, and offers great cold weather performance.

Flexible

One of the biggest advantages of an asphalt driveway is that it will flex in order to help it avoid damage. For example, if you live in an area where there is frequent ground movement or if your home is settling, asphalt will flex when the ground shifts. This prevents the asphalt from becoming damaged by ground movement, whereas a concrete driveway is more likely to simply crack and break if the ground is settling.

This flexibility is also a great feature if something heavy ends up being dropped on the driveway. If you drop a heavy item on a concrete driveway, the impact can easily cause the driveway to crack. With an asphalt driveway, the material will flex with the impact and remain intact.

Easy To Repair

Another great reason to consider an asphalt driveway is that it is quite easy to repair if it becomes damaged. In many cases, you can simply patch cracks, gouges, or other damage to your driveway. However, if you have a concrete driveway that becomes cracked or damaged, you will often have to replace the entire driveway, which can be quite expensive and time-consuming.

Cold Weather Performance

Finally, asphalt is a fantastic material if you want a driveway that can make your life a bit easier throughout the winter. An asphalt driveway will be able to greatly reduce the amount of snow and ice removal that you have to do.

This is because asphalt is going to be dark, which means that your driveway will absorb rather than reflect light waves. The absorbed light waves will cause the entire driveway's surface to heat up, thus causing the snow and ice to melt faster.

In addition, asphalt is not going to crack or shatter in cold weather. If you have a concrete driveway, water can get into the seams and existing cracks and freeze.

When the water freezes, the ice will force the seams and cracks to expand, which can easily ruin your driveway. However, an asphalt driveway will be able to flex in order to accommodate the ice without breaking.

Speak to a paving contractor (such as Curtis Paving asphalt surfacing) today in order to discuss whether asphalt is a good fit for your home and budget. An asphalt driveway is a great choice because it can be easily repaired. In addition, asphalt is damage-resistant due to its flexibility and offers superior cold weather performance.